How much can you eat before that stomach-straining, nausea-inducing feeling strikes? We’ve all experienced that feeling which invariably presents itself sometime after Christmas Dinner or on Boxing Day when you meet with the in-laws for leftovers. Suddenly you’re feeling as stuffed as the Turkey itself!

Don’t panic. It is possible to enjoy the festive period without gaining weight!

Food and drink obviously play a huge part in the festive season… warmed mince pies and spiced mulled wine…mmmmmmm! But this doesn’t mean that we have to eat ourselves into oblivion. There are ways to avoid the festive weight gain.

Here are our top tips on how to avoid over eating this Christmas.

Eat before you go out!

Before heading on your Works’ ‘Christmas Do’, it is so important to make sure that you grab a bite to eat to prepare your stomach for a night of heavy drinking. A slice of wholegrain bread is a great source of slow release energy that will help to avoid those energy slumps throughout the evening. It’s also a very filling snack which means you can enjoy a few Christmas canapes without overindulging, giving you the fuel you need to hit some questionable moves on the dancefloor!

Ensure you have three meals!

Although you may not be hungry after a big lunch, it is vital to eat three balanced meals every day to keep your blood sugar levels constant. Eating three balanced meals helps to avoid those late morning energy slumps that can lead you to seek out sugary foods for energy.

Eat the right breakfast!

As oats are high in fibre, our 80/20 oat pancakes make the perfect breakfast choice to see you through the morning. Topped with Greek yoghurt, this is an excellent and delicious source of protein to help stave off hunger pains, whilst our warmed berry compote serves as a great source of vitamins and minerals on these frosty, winter mornings.

Don’t set unrealistic goals!

Enjoy a few mince pies and stolen bites… it’s Christmas after all! The more you promise yourself no festive treats, the more your brain will be so focused on those foods. It’s all about the #8020lifestyle… 80% of the time eat well and 20% of the time, treat yourself! There is nothing wrong with having a festive treat here and there, just don’t binge eat on mince pies and mulled wine because if it becomes a regular occurrence, this is when you will run into trouble when trying to squeeze into those skinny jeans that definitely fit 3 days ago!

Do NOT crash diet!

We all know it… the Christmas party season is upon us and we’ve realised that the Works’ Christmas night out is on Friday and that little black dress that once fit 2 weeks ago is looking a little on the tight side. This is the time of year where many people start skipping meals or crash dieting in the hope that pounds will drop off them overnight, but this just isn’t the case. Crash dieting can lead to food binges because you restrict the body from the food that it needs to fuel it and come the New Year, you’re carrying extra pounds.

It’s all about the balance and portion control and getting the right nutrients into the body. The number one New Years’ Resolution for most people is to lose weight and get into shape but the daunting task of not having enough time to get to the gym or prep meals can be a giant hurdle to most of you but here at 80/20 we can help you out.

October 2017 saw the launch of our 80/20 meal prep service enabling customers to indulge (guilt free), in a large selection of our meals from their home or place of work, with a choice of 14 dishes including existing meals from our menu alongside a number of new additions such as: spiced turkey meatballs with whole wheat spaghetti, lean minced beef and sweet potato cottage pie and roast chicken fillet with crushed new potatoes and seasonal vegetables. With a minimum order of 10 meals, you can pick and choose any combination that you wish.

Our meals will be provided in tamper proof packaging that can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or up to 2 months in the freezer if you wish. All meals are pre-cooked and provided with cooking instructions. It’s as simple as popping the meal in the oven, or microwave, and you have a ready-made, healthy and nutritious meal in front of you! It must be noted that all of our meals are MyFitnessPal prepared with their own unique barcode, thus saving time taken to manually count the macros and calories as this will be automatically logged for you.

This meal prep service is available to buy online through our website (healthbarkitchen.com/mealprep). Orders must be placed by midnight eat Wednesday for local delivery the following Sunday evening, restaurant collection on Monday from 7am or national delivery on Tuesday. First time customers can use the code ‘INSTA10’ for 10% off their first meal prep order.

Christmas can be a tricky time for those who are health conscious or watching their weight. You work hard all year round to eat better and exercise more for it to feel as if it’s all been undone over a couple of indulgent weeks. But, don’t stress yourself out about it because after all it’s Christmas and it’s a time to celebrate eating minced pies and drinking mulled wine with family and friends. Have an extra treat here and there but just don’t go binging on festive party food. Check out our meal prep service online and get your orders in, in order to start the New Year off the right way!